Bathing units, such as spa systems, are found both in commercial and residential environments. An exemplary spa includes a tub which contains tempered water in which a user can bathe. Due to the temperature of the water and its contact with the person bathing therein, the water may contain germs and bacteria.
Chemical substances can be added to the water in order to sanitize it. However, such chemical substances may cause adverse reactions to the user of the spa and moreover, may not be effective in treating the water.
A more recently implemented method of treating water in spas involves ultraviolet (UV) light radiation. That is, by radiating the water with UV light, some of the germs and bacteria contained in the water can be eliminated. However, conventional UV water treatment systems for use with a spa tend to be relatively large and bulky and therefore are inconvenient as they occupy significant space in the spa. In particular, spas for residential use, which are generally smaller than those intended for commercial use, have a limited footprint and therefore the large size of conventional UV water treatment systems renders such system impractical in such spas.
Furthermore, due to their relatively large size, as well as material and design considerations, UV water treatment systems are often relatively expensive to manufacture.
In light of the above, it can be seen that there is a need in the industry for a UV water treatment system that is able to alleviate, at least in part, the deficiencies associated with the UV water treatment systems.